MELBOURNE, Fla. — The Brevard Zoo has put a new spin on the Australia section of the zoo with the Lands of Change: Australia and Beyond.

What You Need To Know

  • The Kangaroo Walkabout at the Brevard Zoo invites guests to come and hand feed the animals

  • Feeding happens every morning at 10 a.m. where guests can purchase food for the kangaroos

  • Guests can also see the animals by just walking through the walkabout and not feeding them anytime during their regular zoo visit

  • The unique habitat is also home to three rare Galapagos Tortoises that guests can see up close

Lands of Change: Australia and Beyond supervisor Kristen Ralbovsky said this slice of Australian habitat is fun for the entire family.

“We have 15 red kangaroos in here. They are all different ages, all different sizes,” said Ralbovsky.

Zoo visitors line up for kangaroo snacks to take inside the walkabout, a specially designed habitat with no barriers separating guests from marsupials.

“It gives them a chance to get really close to these animals. Even while we are just standing here. We have all these kangaroos coming up to investigate,” said Ralbovsky.

She believes people are fascinated with kangaroos.

“They are so unique looking. So, they have these really big thick tails. They walk like a tripod, but they can also hop. So, everything about them is just not familiar to us,” she said.

She said the walkabout is educational because visitors learn things about kangaroos, including how they are born.

“And those baby kangaroos are born the size of a jellybean. And it does all of its development in that pouch. So, we won’t even see a joey pop his head out of the pouch until it’s 6-months old.”

The walkabout is also home to three rare Galapagos tortoises. Three males, six years old, that could be hanging around the zoo for the next 150 years.

“They are going to outlive everyone here,” Ralbovsky said.

The walkabout at the Brevard Zoo is open daily from 9 a.m. to 4:45 p.m., allowing paid guests to visit with kangaroos during those hours. The Australia and Beyond exhibit is now open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and includes:

  • Komodo dragons, a new species at the zoo
  • A walk-through kangaroo habitat
  • Redesigned cockatiel and lorikeet aviaries
  • A 100-seat theater for educational presentations
  • The return of Visayan warty pigs, wrinkled hornbills, cassowaries, emus, and more
  • Guests can also feed the kangaroos each morning from 10 to 11 a.m., with food available for purchase at $5.